164 



near Worthing, in Sussex, where the fruit 

 grows on standard trees, and ripens as well 

 as in any part of Spain; these trees are so 

 regularly productive, as to form the principal 

 support of a large family. Although the or- 

 chard does not exceed three-quarters of an 

 acre, there are upwards of 100 trees, that 

 are about the size of large apple-trees, the 

 branches extending near twenty feet each 

 way from the trunk. Mr. Loud, the pro- 

 prietor of this little figgery, informs me, that 

 he gathers about 100 dozen per day, during 

 the season, and that he averages the trees to 

 produce him about 20 dozen each : the fruit 

 ripens in August, September, and October, a 

 part of the year when the neighbouring wa- 

 tering places are frequented with fashionable 

 company, that insures a ready sale for this 

 agreeable fruit, at good prices. 



The second crop I find has occasionally 

 ripened: the fruit, which, although smaller, is 

 exceedingly sweet, ave of the white and pur- 

 ple varieties. Two of these trees are now 

 about seventy-five years old, having been 

 planted in the year 1745 by John Long, who 

 raised them from some old ones in an ad- 

 joining garden, near the ruins of the palace 

 of Thomas-a-Becket in that town, who, tra- 

 dition says, brought these trees from Italy, 



